Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-05
DELIVERED BY cARRlERs AT
s9vnNTY GENTS PER MONTH.
~. C.rer.,ler,s Report.

State Controller Dunn's biennial
report for the fiscal years ending
June 80, 1885, and June 80, 1886, has
recently been issued from the State
printing Office at Sacramento. This
Official proves himself to be most
painstaking and efficient person in
the pages Of this report. All the sew
sral funds Of the commonwealth are
arranged in perfect order, and their
condition made manifest at glance
Of the eye. "The Consolidated Per-
petual Endowment Fund" of the
University OF California has bonds
ON deposit to the amount Of 81 $685.
500. These all draw six or seven per
cent. The State owes $2.64S, 600; Of
this $3.50, 900 draws seven per cent in
terest, and the balance draws six per
cent. OF the debt only the sum OF
3S39, 800 isin private hands. There are
1852 800 held in trust for the State
University, and the balance is so held
lor the State School Fund. The re-
port says:
"The cost to the State for convey
ing convicts to the State prisons, and
insane patients to the asylums, forms
NO inconsiderable item in the annual
expenses Of the State; and, under
the present laws, will require an ap-
propriation of about $1l5, 900 for the
ensuing two fiscal years.
s'This cost seems unreasonably
large. If 30, it should be lessened.
1t is, therefore a subject demanding
action at the hand of the Legislature.
This class of claims presents q
greater difference in cost to the State
chan any others reaching this office.
Instances might be cited Of Sheriffs
who, in nearly every case, charge for
m assistant in conveying an insane
person to an asylum, others make it
next to an invariable rule to convey
but one convict at time to prison,
whilst not few from certain locali-
ties, some of them from remote coun-
ties, and wherein staging is necessary,
conveying several prisoners at time.
and never charge for an assistant in
conveying the one or more insane.
"I am decidedly of the opinion
that If the cost of conveying prisoners
and the insane were borne by the re.
spective counties. the expense would
be very materially lessened. And il
does seem that this expense is fully
- proper . one against the counties
= is that attending their trials and
convictions."
There are due to the State taxel
from the various railroads $2,347,
6l8.59. Some of this debt is of si1
years standing.
Under. the head Of defalcations il
State offices the following exhibit il
<lsond.
ssIn the last biennial report from
this Office / called attention to q large
number of defalcatiOns upon the part
q State officials-the aggregate al
that time discovered being $167 ,587.'
n. l also mentioned the criminal
actions begun against these officials
~ we'll as the civil actions com.
menced for the recovery Of the
money. Among these was the case
of T. G. Van Ness, ex-Commissioner
of Immigration. An action was
brought for the recovery of the
money, Judgment obtained against
him in the Superior Court for $2382.-
"a, which he appealed to the Su-
preme Court, where it yet rests.
Next in order is the case of the ex-
Harbor Commissioner at San Fran
cisco. in which case l found the NAL.
faasances to amount to $91 ,678. .95.
The Secretary OF the Board, John s.
Gray, finding that his embezzlements
were discovered, fed the country was
brought back on extradition, was
tried, convicted and sent to the peni-
eentiary. Recently, in the exercise
II your judgment as Chief Executive
Of the State, Mr.. Gray was pardoned.
Conten poraneously with the discov-
cry OF Mr.. Gray's misdeeds, discov-
cred that the Assistant Secretary, J.
J. O'Brien, was q party to the en-
oexzlements. He, too, was arrested,
tried, convicted and sentenced to the
penitentiary. Under an appeal TO the
Snpreme Court, . new trial was
granted. and Mr.. O'Brien admitted to
hail. Though two years have inter-
vened since the granting of the new
hasring, no trial has been had. De-
lay has followed delay, and the trial
seems - far off now az when it was
1rst begun One of the wharfingers
vno like wise sent to the penitentiary,
and is yet there, whilst two others ar
rested for eomplicity in the crimes,
md who, there is good reasons for
bolievlng, wene equally guilty with
those already mentioned. had their
trials postponed and postponed until
IL patience was lost. And, in fact,
after these repeated delays, one of
these parties was tried without wit
neSs from This Office being called to
toetiiy agsinst him, and was, no won-
Aor, acquitted.
sSSoon after the arrests of the Secre
tories, actions were begun against the
Commissioners and their bondsmen
for the recovery OF the money stolen.
Tully three years have elapsed since
theso actions were instituted, and
10y I0U43lu bO-Qdy uhuCbCA uthCus
IN informed by the attorneys prose-
ending these cases that they, although
Soo3y and anxious to try them, have
bocn met time after time bv the attor-
noys for the defense with all manner
u excuses for delay, which have SO
1&e been successful.
: GLOWING these cases came that
Grant I. Taggart, ex-Clerk of the
1rsome Court, whose shortages
o1nt to $2.998. Civil actions are |
~ agaiust him and his bonds
ScF the recovery Of thu money
These, like the others already |
nre still pending and unde-
1T came the case Of Drury |
M ux-6ecretary Of State. whose
amounted to $11 ,107. so. Ac-
0Gse commenced against him